Tradition and Trade Activities of the Vietnamese - Historical Facts and Understanding

Abstract

In the historical process of Vietnamese people, economic activities, including foreign trade, has always played an important role. As an integrational part of the unifying country, in the formation and development, the masters of the Dong Son, Sa Huynh, Oc Eo cultures... have early linked their large relations with the outside world.

As the peninsular country, also situated at one of the main lines of the Asian system of maritime trade, bordered with many Southeast-Asian countries and big markets such as China, India..., in the history, the Vietnamese participated in multiform activities and played a positive role in the economic exchanges and reciprocities in the area. Based on that economy, essentially by means of the sea economic environment, that not only fostered the development of the many economic fields, but also made the linked sources in circulating the domestic economic fields with regional markets. It is possible to consider the East Sea as A "Mini Mediterranean Sea" of the "Southeast Asian World".

After seizing the independence, both the Ly and Tran dynasties were interested in the commerce and promulgated the policies concerning the trade fields. Based on studying the various documents in Vietnam and abroad and legends... this article tries to bring into the public a new approach wishing to contribute to shed new light on a maritime history and tradition of exploiting the sea, trading activities of our nation, especially as the Vietnamese - a crowded community, a be inherited the diversified economic activities and dynamic characters.

(First part)